Election Silly Season: What to Watch For

The formal election is two weeks away and that means we have entered Election Silly Season where the electorate will be bombarded with October surprises, new conspiracies, fake information, and chaos agents working to suppress votes.

We have been witness to a generation of underhanded tactics by the GOP and their foreign backers, so expect more of the same over the next two weeks.

This is the season peddling fear of Black people (Nixon & Ford), welfare queens (Reagan), Willie Horton (Bush), Whitewater + working mother who had the audacity to use her own last name (Bush & Dole), Liar, anti-Christian (Bush), swift boat (Bush), birtherism, racism, and Americanism (GOP), more birtherism, slow recovery (Romney/Trump), emails + being a woman (Trump).

It is also the season of foreign interference as we saw last election when Russia, Ukraine, Saudi, and Israel, pumped money, intelligence, and conspiracies into the campaigns and flooded social media with all their lies.

Here then is a list of voter suppression and misinformation actions that have already started so you can be aware of so that you can pre-emptively ignore, block, and tell your family and friends to do the same:

EMAILS

Yep, they are trying it again. Rudy and his suppliers in the Ukraine are peddling multiple email stories across multiple platforms, most of which focus on Biden and his son. The new twist is “stolen laptops dropped off at laptop repair shops and then the repairman *finds all sorts of “dirt” on Biden’s son.

DRUGS & SENILITY

I know it is unbelievable that Donald “Adderall” Trump, father of Don “Cocaine” Trump Jr. would accuse anyone else of drug use, but that is what they are doing. To make matters worse, they are attacking Joe Biden’s son’s battle with addiction, despite the fact that millions of Americans fight addiction, including the current raging opioid crisis that many of his followers have first hand knowledge of.

FAMILY CORRUPTION

Of all the batshit crazy attack angles, this may be the most insane. They are actually accusing the Biden family of profiting from Biden’s political career. The irony of the family of emolument lawbreaking, campaign money siphoning, and the outright theft (allegedly) of billions in campaign funds accusing anyone of campaign theft is laughable if it wasn’t so infuriating. Add to those, the misappropriation of border wall money, Ivanka and Jared’s myriad get rich quick schemes, and of course the various books preferred by his staff that lead to nothing but them also getting rich. Let’s also not forget that Steve Bannon was arrested and is now awaiting trial for stealing border wall money. And probably the most concerning, at least besides Trump owing $400b+ to *some foreign interests, and is Trump having secret bank accounts in China. He has so much money in China he paid the Communist country over $800k in taxes while paying only $750 in US taxes.

The 10%

Black men now have the 10% – Black men who have been duped by Russian and GOP propaganda. Black men who are working to persuade other Black men to vote for Trump or not vote at all, and who are purposely working to reinforce white male patriarchy because they see themselves as the rightful heirs and next in line as patriarchy headmasters.

Those Black men are misogynists who are envious and jealous of accomplished Black women, they lean homophobic and often anti-Semitic, and many are aligned with evangelicals about control of women’s bodies. And let’s be clear: they are not tricked into siding with the GOP and Trump, they are making active choices. They are willing players in the subjugation of their own people as long as they are promised they can remain on top and Black women on the bottom.

With only two weeks to go popular Black male rappers including Kanye West, 50 Cent, Sean P-Diddy Combs, Killer Mike, and Ice Cube have loudly proclaimed their allegiance to Donald Trump and/or the GOP and one or more of its candidates. Additionally, there are Black preachers and religious leaders who are using the same tactics as their white evangelical counterparts. Both factions of Black men are expressing misogyny and misognoir and weaponizing them against the Black community and country.

INTIMIDATION

Trump and the GOP are trying the old “If you try to vote, we will harm or kill you” tactic that white men have used for hundreds of years to prevent everyone else from voting. This year, Trump has asked his personal domestic terrorists to show up at the polls and intimidate voters. There are already reports of “proud boys” and Florida cops showing up to polling stations trying to intimidate voters. Additionally in Florida, thousands of emails were sent to likely Democratic voters threatening them not to vote – to only vote for Trump.

ILLEGAL ELECTION

The GOP and Trump will continue to try to pre-invalidate the election based on fake stories about ballot stuffing, non-citizens voting, and ballots being changed from Republican to Democrat. There are also the false stories of ballots being dumbed in rivers, trash bins, and being burned.

FAKE POLLS and RALLIES

There are already fake polls showing Trump ahead in the polls, and fake pictures of big crowds at his Covid-19 rallies.

WHITE HOUSE SQUATTER

Trump is trying to convince his base that he can “choose” to stay in office. He is making up false scenarios and calling into question the peaceful transfer of power. This is voter suppression as well, even though members of the press, as they are wont to do, entertain his wishes and treat them as plausible. They are not, so don’t fall for it.

CIVIL WAR 2.0

The GOP, white domestic terrorists, Trump, and members of media are trying to frighten and suppress voters by threatening a race war when he loses.

JOE WILL QUICKLY RETIRE AND KAMALA WILL BE PRESIDENT

This is being peddled to his racist base to scare them, because he and his base believe a Black and Asian woman as president is scary. Boo.

THE REST

All of the above will float across your social media and cable news over the coming two weeks so be on the lookout. Additionally, the GOP, Trump, and Fox News will rely on their tried and true lies as well: Increased taxes, taking away guns, replace and repeal Obamacare, violence in cities, shut down police departments, Black people will move to the suburbs, the borders will be open, and the Supreme Court will be stacked.

And even more absurd, Trump has started saying that Biden will eliminate God, cancel Christmas, take away all healthcare, and defund the military.

Be on the lookout for the above and be aware that some will come from major media members, social media, family and friends, and of course from the White House staff, Trump family, and Russians and others foreign intruders.

There are two weeks to go and the efforts will escalate to levels we have never seen.

Early voting is working – almost 40m have already voted – even with long lines, and we can continue to urge folk to vote we so can end our four year national nightmare once and for all.

Stay energized, active, aware, and get your vote in early if you are able, and if you vote in person, know your local requires regarding ID, signatures, witnesses, etc.

© 2020 by Myron J. Clifton. All Rights Reserved.

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